TALBOT6574

Lacock Abbey
March 4^th –

My dear Henry

I have changed the paper of your Epimedium & left it in the press ¹ – as I found it was not dry – It is a pity you did not entrust it to my care at first – I think it will not do as a good specimen – for want of timely attention – I am very sorry you have got such a bad cold, but I do not wonder in such severe weather. I have had a most excellent report of Charles from M^r Williams. ² It is quite plain now, that he likes school & the companionship of the boys, better than home, without playmates.

We shall be very glad to see Sir David, ³ if he accepts your invitation; but I should like to know in time – as it is a slow process to warm a room the state chamber at this season. I am sorry Caroline ⁴ has been so painfully engaged – it accounts for her not answering either of M^lle A’s ⁵ last letters.

I accept your offer of building a bath, as indeed you formerly & formally promised on more than one occasion; but in a detached building it would not do – I meant to talk to you about it this Spring– ⁶

Ela & Rosamond ⁷ were able to get out of doors for a short time yesterday – & M^lle Amélina continues her walks most days – Today we have had a little snow – and yesterday morning the thermometer stood at 28. to Wilkins’s ⁸ great consternation. We are refreshed & cooled by a great chimney sweeping today. –

your affectionate
Constance.

Just as we had finished dinner it was announced to me that Miss Hayward had called & wished to speak with me. – I received her & found it was the eldest Miss Hayward (late of Wick Farm)⁹ She was in the deepest distress of mind, from the total failure of their last farming business – She & another Sister had joined their youngest brother (Tom)¹⁰ who she says is a very steady young man, & rented a Farm of M^r Longs at Wraxhall – About this time last year they failed; ruined as she says by a train of adverse circumstances, not through any misconduct of her brother. – I could not understand all her explanation about paying off a mortgage, the informality of some legal document, the baseness of a pretended friend, who completed their ruin while offering to assist – &c – but the upshot of it was that she & her brother & sister resolved to emigrate to Australia – The 2 latter hope to scrape together sufficient for their passage money & other expenses – from the wreck of the Farm stock – but Miss Hayward herself is attempting to raise it among her friends or former protectors and her first visit was to us – I saw how hard it was for her to solicit charity in plain words – and though it became evident to me in a short time that money was her chief object, she began by soliciting only a letter of recommendation to the Governor ¹¹ – I said you were not a personal friend – but she maintained that that did not signify – all she wanted was a certificate as to character & capabilities – that she might the more quickly obtain a good situation – She says that they are classed on board ship according to what they undertake to do on their arrival – & that to get as cheap a passage as possible she is entered only as understanding the management of a Dairy – But she says she is fit for a Housekeeper or anything of that kind. – Would you like to mention her case to Caroline – perhaps as an old friend of M^rs Gwynne’s ¹² she might like to do something for her. – She supposes she will have to sail in a month, but is not quite sure whether she & her Sister can be received by the same ship as her brother –

She [illegible] showed me an estimate of her expenses – as drawn out by a friend – <2 cols follow, the sums of money aligned:>

Deposit £2.. 0 0

for clothing &c 4.. 0 0

2 strong packing boxes 1 –

Journey to place of embarcation

& other expenses – 1 –

[rule]

£8 –

besides which she would wish to have something in her pocket on arriving in Australia – and she is without a sixpence! –

Is it true that letters of recommendation can be of any use to her? – She says she would have asked M^r Sotheron ¹³ for one, had he been at Bowden. My Postscript is longer than my letter – y^r aff^te –

Old M^r Hayward ¹⁴ (though 72) will follow his children next year if they are able to send the money for his passage &c –